Apparatus for decorticating and decelling beet seeds with recirculation of oversize seeds



March 13, 1951 F. H. MANGELSDORF 2,545,367 APPARATUS FOR DECORTICATINGAND DECELLING BEET SEEDS WITH RECIRCULATION 0F OVERSIZE SEEDS Filed Jan.7, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 M fa, AM

ATTOB/VHJ March 13, 1951 F. H. MANGELSDORF 2,545,367

APPARATUS FOR DECORTICATING AND DECELLING BEET SEEDS WITH RECIRCULATION0F QVERSIZE SEEDS Filed Jan. 7, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR; .fkA/vxflMlvazm zmf 6 .B BY

ArromvaYfl March 13, 1951 F. H. MANGELSDQRF 2,545,367

APPARATUS FOR DECORTICATING AND DECELLING BEET SEEDS WITH RECIRCULATIONOF OVERSIZE SEEDS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. FRANK flit/wazupmrATTORNEYS.

March 1951 F. H. MANGELSDORF 67 APPARATUS FOR DECORTICATING ANDDECELLING BEET SEEDS WITH RECIRCULATION 0F CVERSIZE SEEDS 4 Sheets-Sheet4 Filed Jan. 7, 1947 INVENTOR. f'kA/wr 1i NAA/6EL500RF Zia ,34

Patented Mar. 13, 1951 TION F OVERSIZE SEEDS V Frank H. Mangelsdorf,Burlingame, Calif. .Application January 7', 1947, 1- a1 No. 720,59'c' Anobject of my invention abandoned, .on a Process and Apparatus forPreparing Seeds. I have found that a beet-seed is actually a podembodying amultiple number of single celled seeds, the pod being in. theshape of an irregular cylinder while the individual seed cellsare flat.There is a certain degree of cleavage between the component cells, whichwhen broken permits separation through screens l of suitable size andshape. 'My present inven-' tion provides a process for firstdecorticating the beet seeds or the like and then 'separating'the"plurality of single cells into single units of one cell each. a

A further object of my invention is'to' provide a. method fordecorticating and decelling beet seeds in which the seeds are coatedwith a solution after they are decorticated, the solution drying as athin layer around the cells and aiding in the subsequent breaking of thecells into their individual units.

The process is continuous and employs novel' means for removing thehulls and for causing the seeds to repeat the decelling cycle until theyhave been reduced to single cells. The invention pro-' vides for theinstant removal of any single celled seeds from any further unnecessaryand continued processing. Where certain seeds are of a size so large asto pass entirely through the de-" ceiling step, such seeds are returnedto the decorticator for further processing.

7 Other objects and advantages will appear in the followingspecification, and the novel f'ea-" tures of the device will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims. 1

- My invention is illustrated in the accompany ing drawings forming apart of this application, in'which: Y

'Figure' 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus for carrying out myprocess of decorticating and decelling beet seeds or the like portionsof the apparatus being shown in section;

-Figure 2 is a front elevation of Figure lwith portions of the apparatusbeing shown in section-;-' Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse's'ectionof the decorticator suction pipe and is taken along th line III-III ofFigure 2;

Figure 4 is anenlarged longitudinal section through a portion of thedecorticator and istaken along the line IVIV of Fig ure 2;

Fgure 5 is an enlarged transverse section is 'to provide an' improvementover my two copending applica- 'tions, Serial 626,939, filed November 6,1945, on Method of-and Apparatus for Processing Seeds, and Serial641,234, filed January 15,1946, now

3 Claims. (01. '146-' z'6) through a portion of the decorticator and istaken along the line VV of Figure 2; 1 l 'Figure 6 is aperspective viewon an enlarged scale of a portion of a decorticating drum and concave;

Figure Tis a view illustrating the mechanical connection between a drivemechanism for the decorticator drum and .the drive mechanism fortheseeddryer? F Figure 8 is a' front'endview of one of the seeddecellers; H Figure 9:. is a rear end view of the same deceller;Figure-'10 illustrates how the screw conveyors can hav their flightsadjusted angularly;

Figure 11 is an enlarged transverse section through one of the seeddecellers;

-.Flgure 12 is an enlarged sectional view of the seed decelling means; J'Figure .13 is anenlarged perspective view of the seed .decelling bars;

L Figure 14 is a greatly enlarged sectional view through a beet seed;

Figure 15 shows a modified form of breaker;

. bar mechanism, and- Figure 16 shows a portion of the screen for singlecelled seeds.

While I have shown only of my invention, it should be understood thatvarious changes or modifications may be made within the scope of theappended claims withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a decorticator including'acylinder A and this cylinder is rotatably" mounted in a concaveindicated generally at B. The cylinder A as shown in' Figure 2 isspirally wound with a strip oi-rubber that has longitudinal corrugationstherein;

Figure 6 shows an enlarged portion of the decor-l ticating cylinder Aand also shows the'stripJ ofrubbe'r' provided with longitudinallyextending grooves 2 that form longitudinally extending ribs 3. The samefigure shows the concave 3 provided with grooves 5 and ribs 6 thatcooperate with the grooves and ribs of'the spiral strip I.

The-spiral convolutions' of the strip are spaced U apartaiid so arelikewise the sections 4.

.In Figure 14a greatlyenlarged beet seed is illustrated in section andthe hull or pod isshownf at I and the plurality q f single cells areshown" at 8. Figure 4'illustrates how the beet seeds pass,

between the rubber strips l and .4 of the decorti:

ca'ting cyl-inder -A and-theooncave B. The space the preferred forms=between the ribs 3 of the strip I and the ribs 6 of the strips 4 is suchas to permit the beet seeds to pass therebetween but the ribs will ruboff the hull or pod I from around the group of single cells 8. Thedecorticating cylinder A can be of any length desired and I show ahopper C for feeding beet seeds to the spaces between the drum and theconcave inFigure 1. r r

The lower portion of the concave B has a longitudinally extending screen9 communicating with a suction pipe Ill. seeds when removed from the.seedshy the decorticator will drop to the lower portion of the conecaveand will be sucked throughthe screen it and into the suction pipe I 0.and conveyed. away. The screen 9 has a mesh small enough to prevent anysingle or multiple seeds from. passing there! through. The decorticatoris especially designed 50 as not to damage any seeds.

Figure 2 shows the decorticating cylinder coma discharge. spout. D and 1pro vide a seed coater- E: for receiving seed from the discharge spout;The seed coater" can. take any shape: desired and I show a container Itfor asolution of methocel or dextrine and a valved pipe [l2 leadingfrom: the container and terminating in a. nozzle is for spraying the.-deco'rticated seeds. as they leave the drum and. pass into the dischargespout. The thin coating applied to the decorti cated seed'swi-l'lzmimmize. any injury to. the single celled seeds. I

; Figure 2: also shows:- a. mixing ozmveyorv and seed dryer indicatedgenerally-"at F and the; dryer comprises a cylindrical screen t4?inwhich ascrew conveyor t5 mounted; The; conveyor has the usual mixingpaddles and thescreen it has; 012- structing bars. The conveyor and thedecorticator may be operated by a single motor to in themanner'iiIustrated in Figure 2, although. I do not wish to be confined to anyactuating The pods or hulls of the beet til means. The: sides and bottomof the screen l4 has number 5 round perforations for greater aeration.Asthe: coated seeds are moved through the screened conveyor and dryer F;they will be thoroughly dried and; then the seeds. are: ready to bemoved into a sizing reel ordrum, indicated generally at G1, whichwillnot; only remove all extraneous: reiuse and. any single celledseeds, but will grade the decorticated seeds into five. differ-- ent butuniform sizes. I

Refierence to: Figure 1; shows the drum. as being divided into fivesections indicated generally at G1, G2, G3, and G5, I show thes sectionsin Figure 1 separated from each other byv dot-dash. lines [1,. althoughthere are no; transverse partitions extend across; the drum; at. thesepoints. Figure: 2; illustrates how the; sizing reelG' is stronglyconstructed suitably reinforced with outside hands torfreeing the Thereel may be rotatablysuppoztedz by a, pinrality of rollers it placedaround its. periphery and certain of these.- rol'lers may be:operatively connected. to a source of. power such as a motor m. Figure 1shows how four sets: of the rollersrotatably support the drum. althoughthis hum-.-

seeds and conveys these to a conduit 2! which in turn drops them upon aconveyor belt 22, see Figure 2.

I -provide a conveyor screw 23 at the bottom of the sizing drum andhaving rubber paddles for contacting the inner drum surface and formoving the seeds from the front end GE of the drum toward the rear endG5. The second section G2 has round perforations large enough to receiveseeds of a certain size. These round openings are /e4 of an inch indiameter. Any seeds that can pass through round openings of this sizewill be; received a trough 24 and will be conveyed to a. deceiler H by achute 25. The rubber paddles on the screw conveyor 23 can be adjusted tomove the seeds along the reel G at the desired s ed Theconvzeyor isshown schematically as a screw in Figure l.

Thenext section G3 has. round perforations 7% sixty-fourths of an inchdiameter. Seeds passing: through these openings will be received in ahopper 26 and conveyed to, a seed deceller Ht by means of a chute 27".

section G4- has openings: 8 sixty-fourths of an. inch. therein and anyseeds: passing therethrough. will he received. a hopper 23' which.communicates with. a. chute 29: that delivers the seeds toa decellerH2.- The last section Gdof the; sizing drunr G has openings 9sixty-fourthev of an. therein. A. hopper 3il=-receives the seeds from:this: Section and delivers them by means of achute St to a decellerseeds passing beyond. the end section G5 will be. delivered to an endchute 32 that conveys them to another de cielier H4... Any means forrotating the conveyor screw 2d be used, and in Figure 2 I show elusive,isidentical. and therefore. a description of one will suffice for all;In Figure 2. I show the deceller H with the chute 25 conveying seedthereinto, This deceller is divided into three sections indicated. bythe brackets and the small letters r and 2a. The deceller drum 33 has a.plurality of round openings therein andv the openings. of the smallestsize are 5 sixty-fourths: of an inch and are: in. the. section. 1.3, theopenings ot a larger size are 6; sixty-zfiourths. of an inch and areinthe sec.- tion. ya and the largest; openings are, 6. /2 sixtyiourthsand are in the. section a; A screw con Jveyor 34 extends along: thebottom of the drum 1 .1 3.3 and moves the seeds. fromv the section 2;;to. the

section. a.

. deceller Hi has. three sets of. round open fourths and receives itsseeds. from the reel section- G4. The deceller H3 has three sets ofround openings 7. 3 and 8- sixty-fourths forreceiving seeds from thereel section G5, andthe decaller 1-14 has three sets of. round openings8 9- and 10- for receiving. seeds fromthe chute 32-. In. Figure L1,. Ishow arr-enlarged detail of. the drum 33 andit. will. be. seen that the.drum rotates;

in a clockwise direction. I provide a. plurality oi.

seed. spreading brushes 34 that float between rigid side members 35 andhave bristles that brush; against the seeds and spread them sothatall-oi.-

tbe openings mthedrum each receive. a seed.

The openings are all of a size that will hold the seeds and not permitthem to pass through the drum. A second elongated brush 36 provided witha single row of bristles 3! causes only one layer of seeds to passthereunder and to enter the suction'portion X of the drum 33.

The suction is created by a suction pipe 38 that parallels the drum 33and has a slot 39 having a length coextensive with the length of thedrum.

A cylindrical screen 40 of a mesh too fine to permit seeds to passtherethrou h revolves around the suction pipe 38 in a clockwisedirection. A hood-like structure 4| extends from the slot 33 to the drum33 and this. will cause air to be sucked from the drum 33: and to enterthe suction pipe 38.. suction created is sufiicient to ,hold the seedsin the openings 42 provided in thedrum 33, see Figure 12. The seedscannot pass through the openings and are carried up to a plurality ofbreaker bars shown 313 43 in Figure 13. I

The bars are supported by a semi-cylindrical member 44 and are slottedat 45 to'receive bolts 461 The bars 43 have seed breaking edges 41 thatare'placed close to the inner surface of the drum 33 'andthesejedgeswill sever the seedsalong the cleavage lines of thecells as theseedsarecarfed upwardly thereby. This severing action will break theseeds-into fewer cells and the portions broken 01f withinthedrum 33 willfall into an inner tr'ou sh 43." The outer portions will be suckedagainst the screen 43 and will be carried in a clockwise directiontoward an outer-trough 49; The inner trough 48 has a screw conveyor 53therein and a second screw conveyor is placed in the outer trough 49.

' Figure 2 shows the inner trough 48 proiecting in front of the drum 33.A ho per 52 is placed under a perforated portion 48a of the inner troughand the perforations of this portion are large" enough to permit onlysingle cell d seeds to pass therethrough and to be guided to theconveyor belt 22. The outer trough '49 also extends beyond the front endof the drum 33 and a hopp r 53 is placed under a perforat d portion ofthis trou h and receives single celled seeds and delivers them to theconveyor belt 22. Single celled seeds are somewhat flat in shape and canpass throu h the slotted portions 48a and 49a of the troughs.

Any seeds that do not drop throu h these slotted perforations are carrid forwardly along the troughs. At t e front end of the trough 453 Iprovide a chu e 54 t at conveysthe seed to a screw conveyor 55', seeFigure 11. At the forward end of the trou h 49 I provide a passage 56that delivers seed to the same screw conveyor 55. The rotation of thisconveyor is such as to carry the seed to a trough 5! that extends infront of the drum 33' and receives the front portion of the screwconveyor 34. The conveyor 34 will move the seed along the trough 51 tothe drum 33 and the process of spreading and breaking or decelling ofthe seed will be repeated. Of course the other decellers will handleseeds of other sizes in the same manner as already indicated.

Should by any chance some seed pass through the drum 33, it will bereceived in a hopper 58 that conveys the seed to a conveyor belt 59. Thehopper 58 extends beyond the rear end of the drum 33 so as to receiveany seed that passes beries the seed back to the main hopper C. Thisseed passes through the decorticator for the second time. The screwconveyor is common to all of the decellers H to H4, inclusive, and yetonly portions of the conveyor are used for carrying the larger seedsfrom the troughs 48 and 43 back to the proper drums 33. It is possibleto feed the seeds from the troughs 48 and 49 by gravity to the drum 33and thus do away with the conveyor 55.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood. 1

I have already set forth how the seeds are decorticated and how. thesizing drum or reel delivers seeds of the proper size to the particulardecellers. The hopper 20' receives any single cell seeds that might bedelivered from the decorticator. I havefoundthat the seeds can be brokeninto individual cells more readily if they are coated by the seed coaterE. In each deceller the seeds go through 'a continuous process ofbreaking until they reach asingle cell state, whereupon they aredelivered to the belt 22. Any larger seedsare carried back to thedecorticator and will go through the entire process once more. Theprocess'is continuous and the belt 22 receives the single cell seeds andthese may be carried to the packaging place, not shown.

In Figure 10, I show how the screw conveyor can have its flights 62adjusted angularly on the central shaft 33. Each screw conveyor can beregulated in this manner to advance the seeds through the various drumsat any desired speed. I have shown the mechanism in Figures 2, 8 and 9for rotating the decellers H and the screws 34, 53 and Si. Inasmuch asany type of actuating means can be used, a detailed description need notbe given. The mechanism for rotating the rotating the sizing drum G.

Figure 15 shows a slightly modified form of 7 breaker bar mechanism. Thesemi-cylindrical member 4411 is pivoted at its ends as at 64 and a cam65 can be rotated for rocking the member in one direction. A spring 66returns the member to starting position. The breaking edges M of thebars 43 will move quickly when the cam frees the bars and a fastercleaving movement yond this end. Figure 1 shows the conveyor belt 53will result causing the seeds to be separated at their lines of cleavageeven though the screen 33 revolves slowly. This will vary and controlthe degree of impact in accordance with the desire of the operator.

Although Figure 12 shows the revolving screen 40 placed close to theperforated cylinder 33, sufficient space may be provided between the twofor the seed portions sucked against the screen to pass any extendingportions of the seeds received in the openings 42 in the cylinder 33 andbeing carried up to the breaker bars 43. In this way there will be nointerference between the oppositely moving adjacent surfaces of thescreen 40 and the cylinder 33.

I claim:

1. A decelling machine for hulled beet seeds or the like comprising arotatable cylinder open at its inlet and outlet ends, the length of thecylinder being divided into a plurality of perforated sections ofgradually increasing size from the inlet to the outlet end, means foradvancing seed along the bottom of the cylinder from the inlet to theoutlet end, means for spreading the seed over the bottom of the rotatingcylinder so the perforations will each receive a single seed, means forremoving seeds not received a perforation, means for creating a suctionon the outer surface of that portion of the cylinder receiving. theseeds for holding: the seeds in place, means for breaking the seedsalong lines of cleavage as the cylinder moves the seeds past the seedbreaking means, means for sorting and separating single celled seedsbroken ofi on the inner surface of the cylinder and for returningmulticel-led seeds to the seed advancing means for again advancing themalong the cylinder bottom, means for suck ing the remaining. seed:portions in the openings, through the openings, and means for sortingand separating single multicelled seeds to the seed advancing means fordew/"mg them alongthe; cylinder bottom for further treatment,

2.. A decelling machine for hulled beet seeds or the like comprising arotatable cylinder open at its inlet and outlet ends, the length of thecylinder being divided into a plurality of perforated sections ofgradually increasing size from the inlet to the outlet end, means foradvancing seed along the bottom of the cylinder from the inlet to theoutlet end, means for spreading the seed over the bottom of the rotatingcylinder so the perforationswill: each receive a single seed, means forremoving all seeds not received in a perioration, means for creating asuction on the outer surface oi that portion. of the cylinder receivingthe seeds for holding the seeds in place, means for breaking the seedsalong lines of cleavage as the cylinder moves the seeds past the seedbreaking means, means for sorting and separating single celled seedsbroken off on the inner surface of the cylinder and for returningmulticelled seeds to the seed advancing means for again advancing themalong the cylinder bottom, means for sucking the remaining seed portionsin the openings, through the openings, and means for sorting andseparating single celled seeds from the last-named means and forreturning multicelied seeds to the seed. advancing means for moving themalong the cylinder: bottom for further treatment, a.v decorticator foroversized seeds received in the cylinder and too large to be received inany of the cylinder openings, means for receiving the oversized seedfrom the seed advancing means and for conveying it to the decorticator,and means for conveying decorticated seed from the decorticator to saidcylinder.

3. A decelling machine for hulled beet seeds or the like comprising arotatable cylinder open at its inlet. and outlet ends, the length of thecylinder being divided into a plurality of perforated sections ofgradually increasing size from the in- 8 let. to the outlet end, meansfor advancmg. seed along the bottom of the cylinder irom the inlet tothe outlet end, means for spreading the seed over the bottom of therotating cylinder so the perforations will each receive a single seed,means for removing all seeds not received in a perforation, means forcreating a suction on. the outer surface of that portion of the cylinderreceiving the seeds for holding the seeds in place, meansfor breaking.the seeds along lines of cleavage as the cylinder moves the seeds pastthe seed break; ing means, means fior sorting and separating singlecelled seeds broken off on the inner surface of the cylinder and forreturning. multicelled seeds to the seed advancing means for again ad.-

vancing them along the cylinder bottom, means for sucking the remainingseed portions in the openings, through the openings, and means forsorting and separating single multicelled seeds to the seed advancingmeans for moving them along the cylinder bottom for further treatment, adecorticator for oversizecl seeds received in the cylinder and too largeto be received in any of the cylinder openings, means for receiving theoversized seed from the seed advancing means and for conveying it to thedecorticator, and means for conveying decorticated seed from thedecorticator to said cylinder,v a. hopper extending the length of thecylinder for receiving seeds passing through the perforations in thecylinder, said hopper delivering such seed to the means that conveys theseed to the decorticator.

. FRANK H. MANGELSDORF;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 228,310 Brubaker June I, 1880238,194 Winterhalter Feb. 22, I881 302,693 Van Duzee July 29, I884407,578 C'ranson July 23,- 1889 493,065 Campbell Mar. 7, 1893 704,610Black July 15,. 1902 1,116,221 Beyschlag Nov. 3,1914 1,242,136 BuffumOct. 9,v 1917 1,726,435 Haller Aug. 27, I929 1,897,664 Hansen Feb. 14,1933 2,075,159 Andreasen Mar. 30, 1937 2,373,361 Walter Apr. 10', 19452,376,062 Kerr May 15,1945 2,428,319 Orkney Sept. 30, 1947

